>> let's give a round of applause for our par continue pants. i would like to thank the core gaffer, the remixer. let's invite claudine chang to come up here with the steering members, the elected officials. come up to the party and stay here with us. ♪ ♪

>> who says asians don't have rhythm? that's it,on't have rhythm? that's it, ladies and gentlemen, for the kickoff performance for asian-pacific american heritage month. thank you very much for coming. we hope to see you at the reception. good night!

>> the mayor, the office of workforce development, kick off a new program which is to engage some of the artists in reinvigorating the streetscapes. organized in partnership with neighborhood based economic development organizations, the art in storefronts taps into the credible creativity of the artist community to help improve the quality of life and the business climate in poor neighborhoods. the tenderloin, central market, they view, and the mission's 24

st.. at the launch party, the mayor released the first of 13 projects located on taylor and market street. we were there to capture the celebration and to get a closer look at the newly transformed storefront. >> we have an analyst at saying, you know what, we get it. if we close out and we put some plywood, we know it will have graffiti on it. we know that people will not respect this space. they are opening up their businesses, their buildings and they are saying, let's invite young artists in and let's have these artists go at it in great very visually stunning storefronts. >> this is a pilot project that was started by the mayor as part of his local stimulus plan in partnership with the mayor's office of economic and work-

force development. we carried this space in the mission. we were hired to curate this project. we have been the ones that have been handling all of the day to day working with the artists helping to secure their locations. >> we are doing projects in central market, the tenderloin, the bayview, and the 24th street corridor. >> we are looking at the history of the neighborhood and their ability to translate a the kind of things that go on on a day- to-day basis. >> we have over 200 applicants. it was wonderful to see how many people participated. these people clearly understand the neighborhood. >> this is a very unique neighborhood. it has always been involved in

the arts from early on. of they have seen a lot of the art and what it has done to the neighborhoods. i think that they will still connected to it. they will actually embrace it. i think it will be a good thing for all of us. >> if you are walking in the tenderloin, you'll be able to see this piece that is in front of the original [inaudible] which is a restaurant that has a lot of history. there are exciting projects on market streets. there are two gorgeous minerals as well as six different installations. they are making huge figures that they will be able to see. >> there is a definite level of appropriateness of stuff i am using.

a lot of businesses died in 2009. >> i think i'm trying to deal with the maximum out of space possible. that is surging right now. everyone is doing what they can with what they have. sometimes that introduces a lot of interesting things. there is nothing that inspires quite like this. >> the project benefits both the property owner, the neighborhood, and the artists, all of whom have been effected by the economic downturn. >> this is brand new work. >> we chose artists that had a diverse array of media from home video to coulter, paintings. >> when people walk around these neighborhoods, they will be able

to see works that deal with the history of the neighborhood. they will see works that deal with movement and the works that celebrate some locations. they will be able to see works of that deal with new projects like the san francisco film museum which is a small organization that is starting. this is their first presentation to the public. >> this has introduced us to different organizations. they are building our portfolio. our project centers on a film that was found in 1906. shortly afterwards, the earthquake destroyed the majority of the market street area. that is what we want to focus on. this is dedicated to film and san francisco history.

>> we are having a support network now, this enhances our mission and what we are trying to do it and it will protect us forward. >> i hope that we continue. there are storefronts all over the city. we have been approached by many of them. it is about getting the resources together. >> this calley is working with the san francisco arts commission and building a tool kit. >> this will be an open source body of information. people can download the different things that we had to do with the artists. negotiations with the property owners. there is also the artist selection. people can take it in their own hands to put art in the storefront.

>> weren't they great? i think they deserve another round of your thanks. they are thurgood marshall high school like school crew. -- light show crew. they were formed to demonstrate asian culture through the art of glow sticks. glow sticks are synonymous with the buyer dancing from hawaii. they did a great job with those close sticks. -- with those glow stick.

i am going to serve as your mc. the first rule of thumb i get to ask of all of you is please turn off your cell phones. we would really appreciate it if you could check right now to see that yourself bones are on silent mode are completely off. -- that your cell phones are completely off or on silent mode. we have some great performances coming up. they deserve your attention. we ask you the favor to check your phones right now. i am delighted to have been asked to serve as your mc today. i am from hawaii, third generation. i am all about asia/pacific. it is so important to me. i know it is to all of you. to start us off right away, i

want to say please welcome a wonderful performer. she will give up her heart and soul. she is going to sing our national anthem. would you please give a warm welcome. [applause] >> ♪ oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light what so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last g leaming whose broad stripes and bright

stars through the perilous nighfight o'er the ramparts we watched waere so gallantly streaming and the rockets' red glare the bombs bursing in air gave proof through the night that our flag was still there oh, say does that star-spangled

banner yet wave o'er the land of the free and the home of the brave ♪ [applause] >> that was beautiful. beautiful. wasn't that beautiful? by the way, she gives her talents and many community organizations around the bay area. she is with the sand francisco

friends of samoa. that is her heritage. her family came from samoa. she gives her time and voice to a lot of community groups across the bay area. thank you for that beautiful and thumb. thank you. here we are at the sixth annual asia-pacific heritage -- american heritage month and celebration. this year, we have a special title. i think you see it in your program books. we celebrate the heritage fostering unity. that is especially meaningful today to celebrate. specifically, it is important to know, here in san francisco, the city and county, one-third of the population is asian american

and pacific islander. that is why if you look at all of us who were able to be here tonight to celebrate this particular month in this particular fashion -- clearly, one-third of us living in the city of san francisco are asian- americans and pacific islanders. that is why it is so important to know that our voices count, and our boys in a celebration like this counts as we lead the nation in a great celebration. right now, i would like to call upon the san francisco assessor, bill ping, who is here to present the city's proclamation from our mayor of sentences go. i would like you all to say come on up bill.

thank you for being here with us. give him a warm welcome. he is our san francisco assessor, bill ping. [applause] >> thank you, jan. can i ask some other commissioners to join me on stage? i know that commissioners mar and chu are here. if there are other elected officials, if you could join me. our community in san francisco is something we are extremely proud of. frankly, if it was not for all of you i do not think any of us would be standing up here. we are very honored to be representing the community and the richness of our heritage in san francisco. it is not just one community but many communities that come from north asia, south asia,

southeast asia, the pacific islands. all of us are here to pay homage to the leaders getting awards but also to thank the heritage committee for all the work they have done. can we call up claudia chang to presenter this proclamation? it was not for her and the committee, this would never have happened. please give her a round of applause. [applause] all the committee members are on page three or four of the handbook. problems, a political system in which to many people have lost faith, and the new government will face the worst inheritance of any incoming government for least 60 years. that is exactly why it is so important that we have strong, stable government that lasts. a strong, stable government, which has the support of the public to take the difficult decisions that are needed if we

are going to put this country back on the right track for a stronger future. there is one further point i want to make. i believe that it is not just important for this country to have strong and stable government. it is important that we get that strong and stable government quickly. i hope we can reach agreement quickly on the open and comprehensive offer i have outlined today, and as i argued in this general election campaign, i think this is a great country, but we could be doing so much better. we do not have to settle for the dead and waste and taxes left to us by labour. we can put behind us the economic incompetence, the breakdown, the political division, and the mistrust. of course, i hope that a conservative majority would be the outcome of this election and that we could have started today making the changes that i believe our country so badly needs. i know how much the conservative

party itself -- all my colleagues in parliament, all the members and activists from the country -- wanted that as well, but i also know they wanted something more than that. they want the best for britain. the conservative party has always been a party that puts the national interest first, and the best thing, the national interest, the best thing for britain now is a new government that works together in the national interest, and i hope with all my heart that is something we can achieve. that is all i have to say for now. i hope you understand, but i will not be taking questions because this urgent work must begin. thank you. >> we leave the british leader's speeches. you can find them in their entirety at c-span.org. next, president obama on the latest unemployment numbers released today. the labor department report shows unemployment rising to

9.9% in >> in my day, i said he was and still is the best dressed da mayor in the nation. am i correct, everybody? willie brown. [applause] you will need him again, but please help me welcome send francisco assessor phil king,

supervisor david chiu, carmen chu. [applause] supervisor eric mar, right here. [applause] public defender jeff adachi. it was just here. and from the city administrator's office, edwin lee. right here. [applause] and i would also like to welcome some generals who may be in our audience. i did not get a chance to see if you were here, but i know that the council general from japan was supposed to be here. if he is not here, though he is coming. the consul general from the philippines was going to be

here. also, consul general also from the philippines, wilfredo santos was going to be here. give them applause. [applause] and we all know that an event like this, with your help, also, we need the help of our generous sponsors, and please, indulge me if you will, for us all to recognize some great sponsors. then, i am going to say who they are, and we are going to give them while the applause at the end of all the sponsors as i read them. so starting at the top level, i want to say our heritage sponsor, we want to say a special mahalo and thank you to pacific gas and electric company on the heritage level. i'm going to read them all. heritage level sponsors. we want to say special mahalo

and thank you. bank of america. kraft foods. wells fargo bank. from the heritage friends level, at&t, comcast, and ecology, u.s. bank, and from the heritage he tends level, day crossing and bills and, for all those heritage level sponsors, come on -- one big giant thank you. thank you, thank you, thank you. [applause] and now, i want to say -- it is my business, so you have to really help me thank them. our media sponsors. and our media sponsors, i want to say special thanks to abc7, comcast, once again, inquire.net, ov